Direct answer: Pelican Water Systems has been part of Pentair since February 12, 2019, and Pentair’s Pelican page now says the brand “has evolved into Pentair Water Solutions.” Pelican’s best-known product, the NaturSoft salt-free system, is a scale-control conditioner, so the right alternative depends on what you want. If you want scale control without salt, compare other salt-free conditioners, such as SpringWell’s FutureSoft (sold online), Aquasana’s salt-free conditioner (sold online), EcoWater’s anti-scale systems (sold through dealers) and Culligan’s salt-free conditioners (sold through dealers). Check each one’s stated limits on hardness, iron and pH against your water test. If you want water that tests soft, has the slick feel and spots less, a salt-based ion-exchange softener is the better fit. Salt-free conditioners, Pelican’s included, leave the hardness minerals in the water.
Brand-status disclosure: Water System Guide is an independent research publisher. We don’t sell or install Pentair, Pelican or any brand on this page, and no company paid for or reviewed it. Availability, price, warranty terms and service coverage have to be confirmed in writing with the seller or installer.
What happened to Pelican Water
Pentair announced on February 12, 2019 that it had completed its acquisition of Pelican Water Systems, then based in DeLand, Florida (Pentair release). Pentair’s current Pelican brand page says: “While the Pelican brand has evolved into Pentair Water Solutions, we remain committed to providing exceptional customer service. If you have questions about your legacy Pelican system, our team is here to assist you” (Pentair Pelican page).
The salt-free technology didn’t disappear with the name. Pentair publishes a manual titled “Water Softener Alternative with NaturSoft Salt-Free Technology” for the NS3-P and NS6-P (4006000 Rev C, copyright 2022) (NaturSoft manual). Our Pentair / Pelican research also found a Pelican-branded WF6-P/WF10-P combo page carrying a “Discontinued” badge in August 2026, while the PC600-R and PC1000-R replacement media pages were current. For how the two names relate today, see Pentair vs Pelican on that page.
First decide: scale control or soft water?
This is the decision that matters most, and the NaturSoft manual explains the trade-off in Pentair’s own words. Under “If you had a traditional water softener,” it says the alternative “maintains the mineral content of the water,” that the slick feel of softened water goes away, and that “the water spots are more visible” than with softened water, though spots are reduced compared with untreated water and easier to clean. It also warns that bar soap and other oil-based soaps can still form a sticky curd.
The EPA’s WaterSense guide treats the two as different products. It says you can soften water with a water softener or neutralize “the scale-forming water properties using a water conditioner,” and advises choosing one certified to NSF/ANSI 44 (water softeners) or IAPMO/ANSI Z601 (scale reduction devices) (EPA WaterSense guide). The certification section of the NaturSoft manual we reviewed lists IAPMO R&T certification of the NS3-P and NS6-P to NSF/ANSI 61, which covers material safety. So for any salt-free unit you’re quoted, ask which certification, if any, covers its scale-reduction claim.
Our salt-free water conditioners guide and salt-based vs. salt-free comparison explain the mechanisms in more detail.
Salt-free alternatives to Pelican NaturSoft
Every row below is a salt-free conditioner, so none of them lowers measured hardness. The useful differences are the water limits each maker states, how it’s sold and what the warranty says.
| Option | How it’s sold | What the maker says it does | Water limits we found | Warranty and returns |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pentair NaturSoft NS3-P / NS6-P (the Pelican-era product) | Pentair. We didn’t confirm current retail availability; Pentair’s Pelican page points buyers to local experts | “Water softener alternative” that “maintains the mineral content of the water” | “May be effective on water supplies with a maximum hardness of 75 Grains per Gallon.” Iron/manganese, sulfur and tannins “should be removed prior” to installation | Pentair’s limited warranty (40957 Rev P) excludes labor expenses and shipping costs. Ask which line of it covers the exact system you buy. |
| SpringWell FutureSoft (FS1 and larger sizes) | Direct to consumer online | “Crystallizes the hardness so it slides through instead of sticking.” SpringWell also says it “won’t make water feel slick or stop spotting the way salt does.” | FS1 spec table: hardness up to 81 gpg, pH 7.0 to 9.5, iron 0 ppm, manganese 0 ppm, free chlorine up to 3 ppm | Product page advertises a lifetime warranty and a 6-month money-back guarantee (Oct. 6, 2026). The warranty page excludes plumber fees and covers only the registered owner at the original install site. |
| Aquasana Salt-Free Water Conditioner (WH-SFWC-S) | Direct to consumer online | Our Aquasana research documents it as changing scale behavior without removing hardness ions, with no salt, electricity or regeneration wastewater | Not established in our research. Ask for the spec sheet. | Replacement-media mapping unresolved in our research. Ask for the warranty document. |
| EcoWater anti-scale systems | Local EcoWater dealers | EcoWater says this “does not reduce hard water minerals” and uses “proprietary PPT media, which converts hardness minerals into microscopic crystals” | Not published on the family page. Ask the dealer. | Set out in the dealer’s paperwork. Ask for it in writing. |
| Culligan salt-free conditioners | Local Culligan dealers; Culligan’s payment page lists salt-free conditioners among its products | Our salt-free guide documents Culligan salt-free configurations sold through local dealers | Ask the dealer for the exact model’s spec sheet | Set by the exact model’s warranty and the dealer’s terms. Ask for both in writing. |
Our salt-free water conditioners guide also covers documented conditioner families from Aquasure, North Star, HALO and iSpring.
Two things stand out in the makers’ own limits. Both NaturSoft and FutureSoft expect iron and manganese to be dealt with before the conditioner, so on a private well you’ll usually need a full water test and possibly a filter ahead of it (see our well water testing guide). And maximum-hardness figures differ by brand, so check your hardness result against the exact model’s spec sheet, not a brand’s general claim.
When a salt-based softener fits better
A conventional softener removes calcium and magnesium by ion exchange and regenerates with salt. Consider one instead of any salt-free unit if:
- you want a hardness test to read lower after treatment, or you want the slick feel and fewer spots that softened water gives;
- your hardness is above the maximum on the conditioner’s spec sheet;
- you have iron or manganese and the conditioner’s spec sheet lists a 0 ppm limit for them. Check the iron limit of any softener you’re quoted, too.
Softeners need salt, a drain and usually electricity, and they produce regeneration wastewater. Some communities regulate softener discharge (our Waukesha, Wisconsin guide is one example), so check local rules before you buy. You can buy one from a dealer (Culligan, Kinetico, RainSoft and EcoWater sell through dealers) or online and hire your own installer. Our dealer vs. online comparison covers the warranty and service trade-offs, and the water softener sizing guide helps you check the capacity you’re quoted.
If you already own a Pelican system
Start with Pentair. Its Pelican page offers help with “your legacy Pelican system.” Our Pentair / Pelican research lists current PC600-R and PC1000-R replacement media pages for the NaturSoft conditioner.
On warranty claims, Pentair’s current limited warranty (40957 Rev P) says Pentair extends its warranties “solely to direct transactional customers of Pentair and to the original home installation only,” and that “all secondary customers” must file claims with their direct suppliers. If you bought through a dealer or retailer, ask that seller how a claim works. The same document excludes labor expenses (Pentair warranty).
If you’re replacing an old Pelican system rather than refilling it, compare the options above against a current water test. Your water, or your goals, may have changed since the original install.
Questions to ask before you buy any alternative
- Is this a salt-free conditioner or an ion-exchange softener? Will a hardness test read differently after installation?
- Which certification covers the scale-reduction claim (for example IAPMO/ANSI Z601), and can you show me the listing?
- What are the model’s limits for hardness, iron, manganese, pH and chlorine, and how do they compare with my water test?
- What pre-filter or iron treatment does my water need first?
- What does replacement media cost, how often is it needed, and what is its part number?
- Which warranty document applies, who files a claim, and who pays labor and shipping?
- What is the return or money-back period, and who pays to remove the system if I return it?
- If someone else installs it, does that affect the warranty?
Finding an installer
Use our installation professionals directory to find water treatment companies by metro. Being listed doesn’t mean a company sells or services any particular brand, so confirm that directly.
Frequently asked questions
Is Pelican Water still in business?
Pelican became part of Pentair when Pentair completed its acquisition on February 12, 2019. Pentair’s Pelican page says the brand “has evolved into Pentair Water Solutions” and that Pentair still answers questions about legacy Pelican systems.
Is a Pelican NaturSoft system a water softener?
No. Pentair calls it a “water softener alternative” that “maintains the mineral content of the water.” It is meant to reduce scale. It doesn’t remove calcium and magnesium the way an ion-exchange softener does.
What is the closest alternative to a Pelican salt-free system?
Other salt-free conditioners, such as SpringWell FutureSoft, the Aquasana Salt-Free Water Conditioner, EcoWater anti-scale systems and Culligan’s salt-free conditioners. Compare each model’s limits on hardness, iron, manganese and pH with your water test, and ask which certification covers its scale-reduction claim.
Will a salt-free conditioner lower my water hardness reading?
No. Salt-free conditioners leave the hardness minerals in the water. EcoWater says its anti-scale systems do “not reduce hard water minerals,” and SpringWell says its salt-free unit won’t stop spotting the way salt does. If you want a lower hardness reading, look at a salt-based softener.
Can I use a salt-free conditioner on well water?
Sometimes, but test first. The NaturSoft manual says iron, manganese, sulfur and tannins should be removed before installation, and SpringWell’s FutureSoft spec table lists 0 ppm for iron and manganese. A well often needs a full test and pre-treatment before a conditioner makes sense.